There is no doubt that the treaty of Paris was a complicated negotiation process. Spain and the United States were allied with France, but not with each other. John Jay, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, America's representatives in Paris were fearful that the French might try to bargain off American land west of the Appalachians. Under the Treaty of Paris, Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States and agreed to a Mississippi River boundary to the west. But the northern and southern boundaries of the new country were not as clearly defined and therefore woud be disputed for years following. Spain won back Florida and used this control of the land to block American access to the Mississippi River.

The United States conceded to Britain that their merchants would not be legally stopped in seeking to collect money owed by Americans from before the war. Another American concession to the British was that Loyalist land that had been confiscated could be reccomended that the states restore this confiscated property to the Loyalist owner. Each of these last two points were efforts at placating the British and not strictly enforced.